Choc Berry Pavlova | Recipe

I'll admit whenever I have made a pavlova in the past, I have just bought the base. Its so easy and cheap and makes for a quick and easy dessert. But I decided I wanted to try making it from scratch. The best thing about making it yourself is that you can totally customise it, which is why I decided to try making a chocolate base. Once I decided to make the base chocolate it was a quick decision to top it with chocolate ganache and berries. The end was result was a totally decadent dessert that was surprisingly easy to make! I'm not saying I'm never going to buy a ready made base again but it certainly felt good that making something from scratch paid off.

Ingredients6 egg whites1 cup caster sugar1/3 cup cocoa powder2 punnets strawberries, roughly chopped1 cup punnet raspberries300 grams chocolate1 cup double cream1/3 cup shredded coconutDirections1. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form2. Gradually add in the caster sugar and cocoa powder, mixing continuously3. Pour into a non stick cake tin and bake for 1 hour at 120 degrees Celsius4. Over low heat, melt together the cream and chocolate and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache to set5. Lightly toast the coconut over low heat in a fry pan6. Pour the ganache over the pavlova base. Throw on the berries and top with the coconut